Alarm mechanism for clocks.



H. J. TREGANZA.

ALARM MBGHANISM FOR CLOCKS.

`APPLICATION FILED MAR.19. 1914.

Patented 0013.27, 1914.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT HOWARD J. TEEGANZA, or NEW YORK, N. Y., AssreNon To Ansomafcno'c courant?,

F NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION or ooNnEoTrcn'r.,

ALARM MECHANISM .FOR CLOCKS.

My invention .relates to improvements in alarm' mechanism for clocks of4 the type in which the alarm, after being sounded at a predetermined time, is automatically cut olf.

` Preferably the mechanism is of the kind wherein the' alarm may be set so as -to sound every.l twenty-four hours, and I. prefer also Ato utilize the, improvements 'in' connection withja switch arrangement of the general character"`describedx in my Patent -Nol 1,088,381 ofFebruary 24, 1914,:by means ofv which the alarm maybe 'stopped manually by pressing 'fa convenient button'projecting fromthe clock case. y -f Alarm Emechanisms yheretofbre been made kiii-which the alarm-will be automati-` cally cut-off,- but'so far as I am aware it v has been'tliefpractice in the priorart to 3" provide a fixed and definite time during 'which vthe alarm will be sounded,zsay forty seconds, before it is.automatically stopped.

With my improved vmechanismy it is possible' t'oadjust' the length ottime during which the'alarmfmay be sounded,- say from seven i vto fifty seconds, whereby 4the user'ma adjust the'durationvof'fthe alarm tov suit Ehis .particular requirements. -.I consider this an f important practical advantage, because in' I the case `of a person who may awaken 'quickly the alarm can be made to sound I 'I place to mechanism by l 115i and in thesecond place to improved mechavery briefly without continuing to needlessly ring, as with present arrangements,.or 'with` out. necessitating, manually stopping *the same if the switch arran ement'is used.

.My invention relates, t erefore, in the first which the'duration of the sounding yof the alarm may be adjusted,

nism by which the alarm will be automaticall cut olf," `the latter mechanism 'being pre erably combined with the former, all as I will more-fully hereinafterfdescribe andi claim.

y In order that the invention may be better understood attention is directed to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, and in which,

.Application filed Hai-ch 19,` 1914. -Serial Na.- 825,864.

Specification of Letters Patent. 0 (31,O 27, 1914;

Figure- 1 is a longitudinal section ofthel alarm mechanism of a .standard clock embodying my improvements in their preferred form, illustrating ini'ull linespthe position of the parts-before the alarm is tripped, and in dotted lines the position of the parts after the alarm has sounded and has been stopped by the automatic mecha- 11j-Sm; Eig, 2 lsa plan view of F ig. l; Fig.

3 is a detail view showing the parts comprisingthe automatic stop, illustrating in full lines the position of the parts while the alarm is sounding, 'and in dotted lines the position of the parts after the automatic stop mechanism has operated; Figi -is a plan view of the clock illustrating the pointer for determining `the. sounding time of the alarm';-and'Fig.r5 is a-'section on the line 5-15 ofFig. 2.

v In rthe above views corresponding 'parts arefdesignated by the same reference numerals.

.Since the present improvements relate entirely to vthe -alarm side of the mechanism I do not show any of the mechanism compris-,f lngthe time side, except the gear l which trips the alarm -infthe usual way, and which isfr'otated by the clock mechanism, vpreferably once in twenty-four hours. The gear 1 fis mounted onthe setting shaft 2 so as to rotate thereon, and being'also movable'longi- 'tildinally with respect to the same in lthe -usual way. The" setting shaft 2`is mounted 'in the frame 3 3 and carries the usual knob '4 ait the back ofthe clockcase by which-the lshaft 2 may be 'turned to any predetermined ,point vand thereby set -the ala-rm.- AThe setting shaft' 2 carriesy the usual stud 5 (see Fig. 5) that enters the notch 6 carried by the trip gear 1, which notch is formed with' an inclined or cam'mcd side in the usual way, whereby after the alarm has sounded the further rotation of the gear l will causev itto slowly move longitudinally of the shaft '2, so as to return the parts to their operative rposition for the succeeding sounding of theA alarm. i Engaging the hub of the' gear l is a lever 7, whose lower end is secured Vto the front plate of the frame, and whose upperypon tion engages 4the forward end of an arbor 8 mounted-in the frame 3-3 so as to be movable longitudinally therein, and being also' capable of a rocking movement in said frame. A spring 9 surrounds the arbor 8 1-10 and impels the same forward when the stud 5 enters the notch 6 to trip the alarm.

The alarm mechanism comprises the usual spring 10 and gearing between the same and the pallet wheel 11, with which cooperates the pallet 12 carrying the hammer 13. The oscillating pallet shaft is provided with an arm 14 extending parallel with the front frame and adapted to be engaged by a stud 15 carried by the lever 7, and projecting through the front frame so as to thereby lock the alarm mechanism against. movement.

Formed, preferably as a part of the arm 14, is an upright arm 16 which partakes of the oscillating movement of the pallet. Mounted above, and extending arallel with the arm 14 is a locking arm 1 having an inturned end 18 adapted to be brought into engagement behind the arm 16, so as to stop the alarm mechanism. The arm 17 is carried by the arbor 8, as shown, and is provided with an extension 19 engaging one of the frame posts and limiting the upward movement of the arm 17, as shown in Fig.

1. A torsion spring 19a engages the arbor- 8 and thereby holds the arm 17 normally in its upward position. Extending downwardly from the arm 17 is an arm 20, whose lower end carries an inturned pointed'inger 21. This latter linger is adapted to cooperate with a spiral groove formed in a plate 22 and`carried by the gear 23 of the alarm mechanism, whereby, vas said gear rotates, the spiral groove, or snail, will draw the arm 20 downwardly, carrying thev arm 17 and inturned end 18 to a position in horizontal alinement with the upper end of the arm 16.v This snail is a plane spiral cam. The snail is provided with a central opening 24 whereby, when the linger 21 has progressed the entire length of the spiral groove, it may enter said opening to thereby permit the arm 17 and inturned end 18 to move laterally', to thereby engage the inturned end 18 behind the arm 16 and stop the alarm mechanism. In order to provide for an adjustment of the time during which the alarm shall sound I arrange the mechanism in such a way that the arm 20, on its return movement, will be limited more or less to cause the finger -21 to engage the snail groove more or less toward the central opening 24, thereby determining the number of turns of the snail :that may be required to bring the finger 21 into position to enter the opening 24. A convenient arrangement for this purpose is an inclined stop 25, arranged to be engaged with a horizontal portion of the arm 20 on its return movement, and carried by a slotted plate 26 mounted to be moved circumferentially in the clock case, and provided with a linger 27 cooperating with a scale 28, suitably marked with the words Long alarm and provide a suitable switch to manually cut off the alarm I preferably form the arm 17,v with an extension 29, with which a spring pressed plunger 30 coperates, having a finger piece 31 projecting above the clock case.

From the preceding description thel operation will be very readily understood. With the parts as shown in full lines -in Fig. 2 the stud 5 is being approached by the notch 6, and the alarm is held against operation by the stud 15, engaging above the arm 14. The inturned end 18, which constitutes a locking iinger, will be locatedv 4above the arm 16 and in a vertical planebehindthe same, and the finger 21 will bewithdrawn from Contact with the snail groove, as shown in Fig. 3. lVhen the stud 5 comes opposite the notch 6 by the continued rotation of the gear 1, the latter will be free to move longitudinally on the setting shaft 2, and will be moved longitudinally thereon by the spring 9 on the arbor 8. This will release the finger 15 from the arm 14, and free the pallet so that the alarm will sound. The longitudinal movement of the arbor 8 moves the arm 17 until the finger 21 engages the snail groove, but the inturned end 18 will still-be out of vertical alinement with the arm 16. As the snail rotates the finger 21 will be slowly drawn downward, during which `time the alarm will sound, until said finger is free to enter the opening 24, whereupon the spring 9 vwill move the arbor a further step, thereby bringing the inturned end 18 behind the arm 16 so as to automatically stop the alarm. lAfter the alarm` has sounded the continued movement of the gear 1 will cause the cam side of the notch 6, engaging the stud 5, to move the gear longitudinally to the position shown in Fig. 2, thereby first engaging the stud 15 above the arm 14, then withdrawing the inturned end 18 from behind the4 arm 16, and nally forcing the finger 21 clear of the opening 24 so as to permit the spring 19a to again elevate the arm 17, until it engages the limiting stop 25 which determines the upper movement of the finger 21 and fixes the point at which said linger shall engage the snail groove to thereby regulate the duration of the alarm. If, during the sounding of the alarm it is desired Ato stop the same, this is doneby pressing the fingerpiece 31, which depresses the armA 17, causing the finger 21 to ride radially over the snail teeth until it enters the opening 24, and thereby permits the spring 9 to move the arbor 8 and bring the inturned end 18 behind the arm 16.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. In an alarm mechanism for clocks, the combination with the alarm mechanism, of mechanism for automatically 'stopping the alarm, said mechanim employing a plane spiral cam operated by the alarm mechanism; and a finger engaging said cam and moved thereby, substantially as set forth.

2. In an alarm mechanism for clocks, the combination with the alarm mechanism, of mechanism for automatically stopping the alarm, said mechanism employing a plane spiral cam operated by the alarm mechanism; and a finger engaging said cam and moved thereby, and a determining' device for adjusting the point at'which said finger may engage the cam to thereby regulate the sounding period of the alarm, substantially as set forth.

3. In an alarm mechanism for clocks, the combination with the alarm mechanism employing an oscillating pallet of an arm adapted to be moved so as to stop the pallet, a linger' carried by said arm, and a plane spiral cam opcratedIby the alarm mechanism and with which said finger cooperates so as to thereby move the arm into posit-ion to stop the pallet, substantially as set forth.

el. ln an alarm mechanism for clocks, the combination with the alarm mechanism enr ploying/an oscillating pallet, of a pivoted arm car-frying a locking finger normally out of vertical and horizontal alinement with the pallet, a plane spiral cam-rotated by the alarm mechanism and formed with a central opening, and a finger coperating with said cam and carried. by said arm whereby the rotation of the cam will move said finger to carry the locking finger into horizontal alinement with the pallet, ad the engagement of said finger with said opening will permit the locking finger to be moved vinto vertical alinement with the pallet to thereby automatically lock the alarm mechanism, substantially as set 'orth. y y

5. In an alarm mechanism for clocks the combination with the alarm mechanism employing anoscillatingpallet, of a pivoted armvcarrying a lockingy finger normally out of vertical and horizontal alinement with the pallet, a lane spiral cam rotated by the alarm mec anism and formed with a central opening, and a finger cooperating with said cam and carried by said arm whereby the rotation of the snail will move said finger to carry the locking finger into horizontal alinement with the pallet, and the engagement of said finger with said opening will permit the locking finger to be moved into vertical alinement with the pallet to thereby automatically lock the alarm mechanism, and means for determining the point at which said finger shall engage the cam to thereby regulate the alarm period, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this eighteenth day of March, 1914.

HOVARD J. TREGANZA.

lVitnesses ROBERT MCFARLANE, HARRY J. HEIM. 

